Places

Florence

| Design & Culture by Ed

The moment London fashion week was reaching its final moments, I was on the way to Italy for a quite impromptu trip to Florence and Rome – two cities I’ve visited when I was a child and clearly needed a sort of revision. Not in scorching, Italian summer, with crowds of tourists that make you remember just a flood of people going through the corridors of Uffizi, and not Caravaggio’s masterpieces. At the end of February, when Italian spring is already in full bloom, but it’s still the perfect temperature outside to wear a trench coat. And, thanks God, nearly no tourists at all. Ideal way of discovering any place, especially in Italy. Of course, I will post my favourite addresses in both of those cities in the upcoming days. Here, I leave you with some of my favourite moments I’ve captured in Florence – Tuscany’s capital, as romantic and delicious as they say.

Baptistery on Piazza San Giovanni; the street that lead to our villa, hidden in the Tuscan hills just two kilometres from Florence’s city centre; patio of the villa; marble painting at Il Papiro; my mum, wearing a Dries Van Noten fur jacket.

On our way to the centre; pink tights at Uffizi Gallery; typical street situation in Florence; inside of Santa Maria Novella; Prada’s headband.

Bottega Veneta clutches that made us all lose our minds; Santa Maria Novella – completely in love with this place; a very ‘postcard from Tuscany’ clichés (which was actually our view from the villa); Medici’s Palace; mum’s vintage Prada tote from the 90s; Campari!

 

Caravaggio’s Medusa at Uffizi Gallery; Ponte Vecchio (tourist-free as well); a sculpture detail from I can’t really remember where…; another vintage from my mum, 90s Chanel; a street photo booth near the river; Botticelli’s Birth of Venus at Galleria Uffizi – it might cause a heart attack.

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

International Wardrobe

| Design & Culture by Ed

The next time you’re in Berlin, please visit International Wardrobe. As the name suggests, it’s a store that sells hand-picked garments, accessories and curated objects from all over the world. The owner finds unique pieces in Ukraine (like the jacket from Hutul region), Transylvania region in Romania, Vietnam, Bolivia and other destinations, then thoroughly examines them in the very precise labels attached to each piece. The world’s most beautiful cultures under one address in the Mitte district. Learn through fashion, and let the one-of-a-kind craftsmanship into your wardrobe. Really, it’s all about the joy of styling!

Almstadtstraße 50 / Berlin

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Berlin, When It’s Cold

| Design & Culture by Ed

Berlin, when it’s cold? I say: yes. The city is a perfect destination for weekend visiting in any season. So, even when it’s winter and the temperature drops below zero, you’re more than welcome to visit the Turkish market in Kreuzberg, discover new coffee spots (or rather, new to you, but well known for the locals) or simply, go to a museum. Scroll on!

Annelies / Görlitzer Str. 68

The quintessence of a Berliner brunch spot – raw, yet cozy interior, delicious pastries, perfect lighting.

Turkish Market / Maybachufer

Fresh pomegranates, mangos, coriander and lemons in February? Those market stalls got you covered.

Berggruen Museum / Schloßstraße 1

The Berggruen Museum is a collection of modern art classics, which the collector and dealer Heinz Berggruen, in a “gesture of reconciliation”, gave to his native city. The most notable artists on display include Pablo Picasso (some of the rarest works out there), Alberto Giacometti, Georges Braque, Paul Klee and Henri Matisse. A true, visual feast.

Rosa Wolf /  Eberswalder Str. 32

Rosa Wolf is a shop filled with independent magazines, carefully selected from all over the world. Whether you’re looking for reading material about fashion, art, culture, travel, architecture or design, you will find it at their place in Prenzlauer Berg.

The Store x Soho House Berlin / Torstraße 1

An ever-changing space created to inspire, create, work and enjoy – and most of all, to shake-up the stereotype of how a fashion retail place should look like. Located in the Soho Haus Berlin hotel, The Store makes you feel like at home, with its beautifully curated furniture (from chic Pierre Jeanneret seats to Mathieu Matégot heart shaped-patio set) and a connoisseur-level book selection, coming straight from London’s cult Idea Books. Moreover, The Store is Berlin‘s fashion destination, with its heaving hangers of Vetements, The Row, Aries, Calvin Klein, Wales Bonner and others.

The Potsdammer Straße ‘trio’:

Andreas Murkudis / Potsdammer Straße 81

Fiona Bennett / Potsdammer Straße 81-83

Acne Studios / Potsdammer Straße 87

Sasaya / Lychener Str. 50

Sasaya is the best Japanese restaurant in Berlin. It’s just so pure in taste, and so Japanese in everything, from the simple interior to the way the asparagus tempura is served on ceramics plates (which are sold together with delightful pottery and rare sake next to the restaurant space). Sasaya doesn’t only serve sushi – which is perfect – but as well other traditional dishes and tastes like the tsukemono (pickled vegetables), the takana (fried vegetables), dashi broth or the kukiwakame (seaweed). The gyoza stick is a great addition to your portion of maki and nigiri, while green tea cake with matcha macchiato is an ideal desert (at least for me!).

Superbazaro / Mulackstraße 1

Italian (and not only) gourmet food and wines with selected, chic kitchenware. By Mitte’s favourite Mädchenitalianer restaurant nearby, which serves some delightful, home-made Italian cusine.

//

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Prague’s Addresses II

| Design & Culture by Ed

In addition to my Prague addresses I discovered back in autumn (read about them here), here are three more places I found worth visiting in the Czech capital.

What makes Prague locals and well-informed tourists go to the rather sleepy Karlin district? One word: Eska. It’s a restaurant with a bakery which brings together the traditional and the modern – on the plate, and in its arty/industrial interior spread across two floors. It’s a spot from Ambiente (Prague’s leading culinary collective) that brings you food made of Czech ingredients with the daring touch of the head chef Martin Štangl. Here, you will enjoy breakfast, a lunch or an intimate evening meal made of several courses. When you leave, don’t miss the fire-baked bread, organic dairy, selected meats from Naše Maso and a take-away coffee at the Eska store.

Pernerova 49

Your culture time should be spent at the Veletržní Palác. At the time of its construction (completed in 1928), this was the largest building of its kind in the world and the first ‘Functionalist’ building in Prague. Today it serves the needs of the National Gallery. A unique collection of Czech and international contemporary art, it includes some well-known examples of French and European art, including major works by such names as Picasso, Toyen, Renoir, van Gogh, Klimt, Gauguin, Cezanne, Rodin and many more. Take your time to see all the four floors and the temporary exhibitions.

Kantýna is another address coming from under Ambiente’s wing. The concept is quite surprising – it’s a literal canteen, but aesthetically pleasing. With a butcher store in the front and a restaurant space in the back, this place is for true meat lovers (or even, maniacs). I wasn’t really impressed with the sausage I ordered, and I’m not a beer-loving type of person, but I guess there are people who enjoy this sort of culinary ‘adventure’. I came here for the interior!

Photographs by Edward Kanarecki.

Christmas in Prague

| Design & Culture by Ed

This Christmas, I went to Prague with my family, and it couldn’t be lovelier. Of course, there was some stress regarding the typical ‘Christmas conventions’ of staying at home and all… but then, Prague feels so, so at home. Those cobblestone streets, all the truly festive decorations, the panoramic views at the river (always filled with swans, whatever season it is!). And, to my own surprise, so many places are open throughout the holidays. New addresses, that will well add up to the spots I’ve written about back in October, are about to be posted here, hopefully before the New Year. For now, here are some moments from those few days.

Prague’s monumental, spikey architecture, some new season Prada at the Parizska street, and the delightful Christmas tree adorning the main square.

‘Grace: The Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue’, signed by the one-and-only Grace Coddington, is what I got from Santa. I guess I was good this year… 

The iconic Czech Krtek, re-imagined in every possible way; the tram near Prague’s National Theatre; Art Deco-ish reliefs and ornaments near Jozefovo district; the crazy, colourful Czech glassware.

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.